Diabetes with Dr. Cindy Williams

Today on MD-VOD, Dr. John Kennedy is joined by board certified endocrinologist, Dr. Cindy Williams to get the scoop on diabetes. Together they examine the cause of diabetes, who is at risk, the symptoms, how it’s diagnosed and available medications, treatments and therapies. They further discuss the consequences and the realities of living with diabetes, including insurance coverage and related costs.

Today over 30 million people in the U.S are living with diabetes and it effects everyone from infants to the elderly. Diabetes can cause a variety of complications in a number of organs leading to blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and even limb loss.

Dr. Williams points out that it is best to start with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise when addressing diabetes. Although for those with extreme blood sugar levels, we recommend starting on medication as well. The medication prescribed for diabetes depends on whether you have an inability to produce insulin, called Type 1 Diabetes, or a resistance to insulin, called Type 2 Diabetes.

For Type 1 Diabetes, doctors typically start their patients on Insulin Replacement Therapy via either an insulin pump or injection. This helps your body to effectively utilize the glucose, the compound our bodies use for energy, in your bloodstream. For Type 2 Diabetes, oral medications are often times prescribed. These medications have a wide array of effects that include: helping increase insulin production, decreasing your body’s resistance to insulin, and even lowering sugar production just to name a few.

So join us as we simplify this common and treatable disease and arm you with the tools and information you need to combat diabetes for yourself and those you love.

Host, Dr. John Kennedy, MD, FACC is the Director of Preventive Cardiology and Wellness, Marina Del Rey Hospital, Marina Del Rey, California. He is on the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association and is the Co-Author of The 15 Minute Heart Cure: The Natural Way to Release Stress and Heal Your Heart in Just Minutes a Day.

Guest expert, Dr. Williams is the director of diabetes care at Torrance Memorial Hospital and is a popular speaker on diverse topics including weight management and hormone balancing. She is board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology and sees patients with thyroid and weight issues, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and other hormone-related issues. She graduated from Ohio State University, earning a degree in Human Nutrition. Dr. Williams has authored or co-authored several publications in the Endocrinology field. She is also active in sponsored research in the fields of diabetes prevention, and insulin studies.